Polishing & Editing Checklist If the paper is about a literary text, have I named the author and work in my introduction?     If the paper is about a piece of literature, do I refer to the writer by full name the first time, and by last name thereafter?     Have I read the paper aloud?     Have I eliminated unnecessary words?     Have I used strong verbs?     If quotations have been used, have they been smoothly integrated into the text?     Have quotations and paraphrases been documented appropriately?     Have I minimized the use of passive voice?     Are the transitions in the paper strong and varied?     Is there variety in the length, structure and rhythm of sentences within the paper?     Are sentence beginnings varied?     Does the paper have a meaningful title?     Have I maintained a consistent use of verb tense?     Have I avoided the use of sexist language?     Have the grammar and punctuation of the paper been checked thoroughly?     Have I avoided sentence fragments and comma splices?     Have I checked for spelling errors and typos?     Have I proofread the entire paper, one word at a time?     Return to the Handouts List -----Return to the Writing Center